History/Systems of Psychology

4.3 Assignment. How a Culture of Rebellion Shaped Mental Health Treatment

Getting Started

When we look back at the last 100 years of history, many professional historians point to the decade of the 1960s as a pivotal time in modern American history. It was a unique period where a tectonic shift occurred in the common values that seemed to unite Americans. The 1960s were characterized by social and political upheaval that at times threatened to split the nation apart. Civil rights, drugs, sex, anti-war sentiment, and resistance to authority were just a few of the themes that dominated the mindset of young people in the decade of the 1960s.

If you had been a college student in the 1950s, it would have been hard to see the rebellion of the 1960s coming. In retrospect, the rumblings of this rebellion were growing like foreshocks before a major seismic event. To understand the cultural revolution of the 1960s, we must study the context starting in the 1950s.

You may have noticed in previous workshops that behaviorism, humanism, and now cognitive psychology were all gathering momentum around this time period. It is no coincidence that psychological theories were flourishing at the same time social norms of civility and compliance were being challenged. Psychology was influencing the shift in cultural values toward more personal freedom and autonomy, while the social, political, and economic events were shaping how mental health services were viewed and applied in the larger population. It is the era where mental health services really started to become a part of the larger cultural landscape.

In this assignment, you have the opportunity to take a close look at the fascinating interplay between the cultural events of the time and the psychological mindset that was forming within the general population. You’ll also try to discern what affect all this cultural change had on organized religion and faith at that time. And finally, you’ll explore how the war and the emerging emphasis on mental health shaped how mental health care was to be delivered to those coming back from war.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Analyze how cultural trends from the 1950s through the 1960s have impacted social norms and the delivery of mental health services.

Resources

· Video: In the 1950s There Were Lots of Rules

· Video: The 1960s Was a Reaction to the 1950s

· Video: PTSD in Iraq

· Article: The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget

Background Information

Before attempting to complete this assignment, view the four videos listed in the resources section in the order they appear. They form a historical context that is important to understand and it will make the most sense if they are viewed sequentially. You should then read the article titled “The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget,” which shows how war has had a deep impact not only on soldiers but on how mental health was perceived, even into our modern era.

This assignment goes into depth about the social forces in the mid-twentieth century that had a major impact on shaping how we approach and treat mental health. So, it may be necessary for you to do additional research outside of the resources provided to complete this assignment.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. View the following videos in the order presented:

a. “ In the 1950s There Were Lots of Rules ” (7:50 min)  (Closed captioning is provided.)

b. “ The 1960s Was a Reaction to the 1950s ” (5:46 min)  (Closed captioning is provided.)

c. “ PTSD in Iraq ” (4:54 min)  (Closed captioning and a transcript is available.)

3. Read the article “ The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget .”

4. Write a four- to five-page paper that addresses the following:

a. Identify what you consider to be the primary factors that caused a shift in the social norms of the 1950s (compliance and civility) to the radical changes in norms of the 1960s (unrest, rebellion, and resistance to authority). Be detailed in your response.

b. Discuss what you consider to be the one most  positive outcome of the emerging 1960s social norms and the one most  negative or consequential outcome of the changing social norms. Be specific and explain the cause and effect of each in detail.

c. Organized religion in the 1950s was characterized by the same values of compliance and civility. How do you think the 1960s norms of unrest, rebellion, and resistance to authority affected religious beliefs at the time?

d. In the article titled “The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget,” what do you see as the cause and effect between war, the emerging awareness of PTSD, its influence on the larger culture, and how it shaped the way mental health services were delivered in subsequent years?

e. What are your impressions of the progress we’ve made, or lack thereof, regarding how we currently treat PTSD? Start with insights you have from the “PTSD in Iraq” video.

4.2 Discussion. Cognitions and Behavior

Getting Started

Today, it may seem like common sense to say that how you think affects your behavior, but it’s only been in recent decades that we’ve had the research to support such a claim. Much of this research comes from studies done with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on understanding how thoughts and emotions influence behavior. For example, depression might be linked to the thoughts and perceptions a person has about himself or herself. If a person feels that everyone at the workplace is smarter than she is, she may turn down or undermine opportunities for advancement. Or, a person may feel as though his social skills are inferior to everyone else’s and make excuses to avoid social situations, then feel isolated and sad. CBT helps a person explore those distorted thoughts and correct those thoughts, leading to changes in behavior.

The development of cognitive behavioral therapy has traditionally been linked to Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist who began experimenting with the association between thoughts and feelings in the 1960s. He came up with the term “automatic thoughts” to describe how emotion-laden thoughts could arise in a person’s mind without that person being fully aware of them. He learned that if a person could identify these negative and distorted thoughts, they could learn to change them and, in turn, change their behavior. CBT is one of the most common therapeutic approaches used today to treat a wide range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, phobias, and addictions.

In this discussion, you’ll have the opportunity to explore this link between thoughts and behavior as it applies to your own life and what you’ve seen in others. You will also take it one step further by applying the idea to how Christians can better nurture their relationship with God. Unfortunately, many people reject faith in God due to faulty views of who God is or what their relationship with him implies, based on early life experiences. Perhaps through learning more about how distorted thoughts affect behavior, we might be able to help others, or even ourselves, root out some of those negative thoughts and replace them with the truth.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Assess the principles of cognitive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Resources

· Article: Cognitive Psychology

· Article: The Origins of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background Information

Before you participate in the discussion, you should first read the article “Cognitive Psychology,” which gives a good overview of cognitive psychology. Follow that with the article “The Origins of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),” which will help you understand the progression of the cognitive movement into therapeutic applications. CBT is currently the most popular therapeutic approach in clinical practice.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Read the following articles before writing your assignment:

a. “ Cognitive Psychology ”

b. “ The Origins of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ”

3. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following discussion questions:

a. The basis of cognitive psychology and especially cognitive therapy is that thoughts affect behavior. Do you agree with that assumption? Explain.

b. Give an example to illustrate how a person’s thought process might influence his or her behavior. Make the example from your own life or from the life of someone you know personally.

c. Suggest one way that changing thought patterns could help a Christian better nurture their relationship with God.

d. Can changing distorted thoughts about God change how we worship, pray, read scripture, and fellowship? If so, how?

e. Are there situations where the reverse might be more effective: first changing the behavior to change the thought? Explain.

4. Your initial post:

a. Should be 400 to 500 words.

b. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

c. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

4.4 Assignment. The Decline of the Biblical Worldview

Getting Started

As a result of the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, traditional Christianity was also experiencing many challenges. Prior to the 1960s, Christianity was perceived to be the dominant worldview of most Americans, even if many of those people were not overtly religious in practice. But pivotal issues of the 1960s changed that perception.

You will address some of the most important social, political, and economic events that changed the religious landscape in the 1960s and early 1970s. These events had a major impact on how faith and religious life were practiced, both privately and publicly.

Your task is to think critically about how each event may have changed that religious landscape. Look through the whole list and piece together any trends you notice in these events. How have these trends possibly shifted or eroded the dominant biblical worldview at that time? Have certain trends continued? If so, how? What are the consequences for people of faith today? These are some of the challenging and sobering questions you will explore in this assignment.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Assess how select religious, political, and social changes have shaped modern Christianity.

Resources

· Article: The 1960s: A Decade of Promise and Heartbreak

· Article: Gains in the 1960s Made Obama’s Election Possible

Background Information

Before starting this assignment, first read the two articles, “The 1960s: A Decade of Promise and Heartbreak” and “Gains in the 1960s Made Obama’s Election Possible.” These will help jump-start some of your thinking about trends you might see in the list below.

What follows are 12 important events that occurred over as many years during a period of great social and political upheaval in America. These events were specifically chosen because of how they have affected the biblical worldview at this point in time.

This assignment requires you to think critically about how these events created trends that either enhanced a biblical or contributed to the decline of that worldview. You are encouraged to do additional research to learn more about these events and the way they were discussed and debated at the time.

Important Religious and Political Events of the 1960s and 1970s

1961 – Pat Robertson begins broadcasting on television. 1962 – The Supreme Court rules school prayer is unconstitutional. 1963 – The Supreme Court says that Bible reading and reciting the Lord’s prayer in school is unconstitutional, 1963 – The American Atheists Society is founded. 1964 – Muhammad Ali becomes a Muslim, bringing Islam faith into popular culture. 1964 – Civil Rights Act is passed, giving people of color equal rights. 1965 – The Immigration Act of 1965 opens the door for unprecedented immigration into the United States. 1966 –  Time magazine’s cover story is “Is God Dead?” 1968 – The ban on teaching evolution in schools is ruled unconstitutional. 1969 – A Catholic priest burns his draft card to protest the Vietnam war. 1972 – The Equal Rights Amendment passes in Congress, expanding women’s rights. 1973 – The  Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizes abortion.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Review the following articles:

a. “ The 1960s: A Decade of Promise and Heartbreak ”

b. “ Gains in the 1960s Made Obama’s Election Possible ”

3. To complete this assignment, review the Important Religious and Political Events of the 1960s and 1970s listed in the Background Information section and respond to the following:

a. When you look at these events, what trends or patterns do you see emerging in favor of or against Christianity?

b. If you were to choose one of these events as a pivotal example of how societal factors were shaping Christianity, which event would it be? Explain in detail.

c. Fast forward and name one recent religious or political event in the last five years that works against a strong Christian presence in society? Explain in detail.

4. Your response should be at least six paragraphs: two substantive paragraphs for each question. You are encouraged to do additional research to learn more about select events. Attempt to incorporate this outside research into your paper. Include the sources with in-text citations and in a reference page using correct  APA Style  format.

4.3 Assignment. How a Culture of Rebellion Shaped Mental Health Treatment

Getting Started

When we look back at the last 100 years of history, many professional historians point to the decade of the 1960s as a pivotal time in modern American history. It was a unique period where a tectonic shift occurred in the common values that seemed to unite Americans. The 1960s were characterized by social and political upheaval that at times threatened to split the nation apart. Civil rights, drugs, sex, anti-war sentiment, and resistance to authority were just a few of the themes that dominated the mindset of young people in the decade of the 1960s.

If you had been a college student in the 1950s, it would have been hard to see the rebellion of the 1960s coming. In retrospect, the rumblings of this rebellion were growing like foreshocks before a major seismic event. To understand the cultural revolution of the 1960s, we must study the context starting in the 1950s.

You may have noticed in previous workshops that behaviorism, humanism, and now cognitive psychology were all gathering momentum around this time period. It is no coincidence that psychological theories were flourishing at the same time social norms of civility and compliance were being challenged. Psychology was influencing the shift in cultural values toward more personal freedom and autonomy, while the social, political, and economic events were shaping how mental health services were viewed and applied in the larger population. It is the era where mental health services really started to become a part of the larger cultural landscape.

In this assignment, you have the opportunity to take a close look at the fascinating interplay between the cultural events of the time and the psychological mindset that was forming within the general population. You’ll also try to discern what affect all this cultural change had on organized religion and faith at that time. And finally, you’ll explore how the war and the emerging emphasis on mental health shaped how mental health care was to be delivered to those coming back from war.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Analyze how cultural trends from the 1950s through the 1960s have impacted social norms and the delivery of mental health services.

Resources

· Video: In the 1950s There Were Lots of Rules

· Video: The 1960s Was a Reaction to the 1950s

· Video: PTSD in Iraq

· Article: The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget

Background Information

Before attempting to complete this assignment, view the four videos listed in the resources section in the order they appear. They form a historical context that is important to understand and it will make the most sense if they are viewed sequentially. You should then read the article titled “The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget,” which shows how war has had a deep impact not only on soldiers but on how mental health was perceived, even into our modern era.

This assignment goes into depth about the social forces in the mid-twentieth century that had a major impact on shaping how we approach and treat mental health. So, it may be necessary for you to do additional research outside of the resources provided to complete this assignment.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. View the following videos in the order presented:

a. “ In the 1950s There Were Lots of Rules ” (7:50 min)  (Closed captioning is provided.)

b. “ The 1960s Was a Reaction to the 1950s ” (5:46 min)  (Closed captioning is provided.)

c. “ PTSD in Iraq ” (4:54 min)  (Closed captioning and a transcript is available.)

3. Read the article “ The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget .”

4. Write a four- to five-page paper that addresses the following:

a. Identify what you consider to be the primary factors that caused a shift in the social norms of the 1950s (compliance and civility) to the radical changes in norms of the 1960s (unrest, rebellion, and resistance to authority). Be detailed in your response.

b. Discuss what you consider to be the one most  positive outcome of the emerging 1960s social norms and the one most  negative or consequential outcome of the changing social norms. Be specific and explain the cause and effect of each in detail.

c. Organized religion in the 1950s was characterized by the same values of compliance and civility. How do you think the 1960s norms of unrest, rebellion, and resistance to authority affected religious beliefs at the time?

d. In the article titled “The Impact of War on Mental Health: Lest We Forget,” what do you see as the cause and effect between war, the emerging awareness of PTSD, its influence on the larger culture, and how it shaped the way mental health services were delivered in subsequent years?

e. What are your impressions of the progress we’ve made, or lack thereof, regarding how we currently treat PTSD? Start with insights you have from the “PTSD in Iraq” video.